Student Rights, Responsibilities and Grievance Procedures

Student Rights

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records.  Parents should understand that their rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a postsecondary school at any age. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students."  FERPA gives parents and eligible students these basic rights:

• The right to inspect and review the student's education records maintained by the school;
• The right to request that a school amend the student’s education records;
• The right to consent in writing to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the student's education record, except under certain permitted situation; and
• The right to file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO) regarding an alleged violation under FERPA.

For more information on FERPA as a student at the University of Kentucky, please visit http://www.uky.edu/registrar/FERPA-privacy

ADA

From the ADA.gov website: "The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H.W. Bush. The ADA is one of America's most comprehensive pieces of civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in the mainstream of American life -- to enjoy employment opportunities, to purchase goods and services, and to participate in State and local government programs and services. Modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin – and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 -- the ADA is an "equal opportunity" law for people with disabilities.

To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability, which is defined by the ADA as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered." Please visit the website for more information on the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Complaints Regarding Accessibility